2017 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1.8T SE VIN 1VWGT7A33HC002730

This Volkswagen Passat 1.8T SE was built in 2017. The gearbox is automatic, with front-wheel drive. Power comes from a 1.8-litre petrol engine with four cylinders. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

The car was recorded with 119,560 miles on the clock. The figure is in miles and needs converting before it is compared with kilometres: one mile is about 1.6 km. The number on the clock proves little by itself; earlier figures logged at services and inspections are what make it believable. Figures carry most weight when they come from independent sources: workshops, inspection stations and past title paperwork.

Primary damage in the record: right rear. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since. Given the kind of damage entered, a mechanic should look first at the right rear quarter panel, the suspension on that corner and the boot floor.

A ‘runs and drives’ note means the car moved under its own power when it was checked. A key is on file for the car. A condition note describes the car at one moment; months of standing or later work on the car can change the picture in either direction.

The car carries a non-repairable title. Titles of this type are issued to cars declared a total loss. If any work has been done on the car since, photos and invoices should show what was replaced.

A car’s history is the sum of what has happened to it since it was new, and most of it has left a trace on paper somewhere. From the outside, a car with a repaired accident and a car without one can look identical.

For the engine, the service history matters most: oil changes, filters and the timing belt or chain are the entries to look for. On a petrol engine, a rough idle, misfires or a warning light on the dashboard need looking into. The automatic gearbox needs its fluid changed at the manufacturer’s intervals, and invoices should show that it was.

The ninth character of the VIN is a check digit calculated from the other sixteen, so a mistyped or invented number does not add up. The VIN 1VWGT7A33HC002730 belongs to this 2017 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T SE. Scratches, fresh paint or a replaced plate around the VIN markings are warning signs in their own right.

A VIN report shows what has been logged: earlier registrations, odometer figures, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks, wherever such data exists. A VIN check and a physical inspection answer different questions: the first says what happened to the car, the second what condition it is in now. Look up the history of VIN 1VWGT7A33HC002730 first, and let what it shows guide the inspection.